The Alcatraz Work Service Project/Overnight Program is truly a unique experience. Groups travel by ferry to Alcatraz on a Friday or Saturday afternoon to perform a 1–2 hour work project, such as vegetation management or cellhouse maintenance. After the work project, groups receive a guided tour by a Park Ranger. At night you may cook dinner over a grill provided on the island - all food and drink is the responsibility of the group - no alcohol is permitted on Alcatraz. At the end of the evening, groups retire to their individual cells in the D-Block.
The total cost of the Alcatraz Overnight Program is $2,000 per group and the maximum group size is 35. Everyone in the group must be at least 9 years of age. There may be no more than 30 individuals under 21 with 5 adults 21 or over. Applicants may not have won the Alcatraz overnight lottery within the past five years. All overnight groups are required to have a $1,000,000 liability policy.
Due to high demand only formally organized 501 (c)(3) non-profit groups are allowed to take part in the lottery.
Groups are randomly selected by a lottery system. Each year are accepted (by mail, fax or email) ONLY between November 1-30 for dates scheduled for the following year. Please only submit one application for your group; duplicate applications and those submitted outside of the month of November will be discarded.
For information about obtaining a permit for holding a special event, commercial photography, or commercial filming on Alcatraz please contact the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's permit office at 415-561-4301.
